TTV Dhinakaran Condemns TVK MLA Karuppaiah Over Remarks on Jallikattu

CHENNAI — Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday condemned a statement made by TVK Sholavandan MLA VM Karuppaiah, who claimed that jallikattu competitions were ruining the youth and society.

Reacting strongly to the comments, Dhinakaran questioned whether the TVK leadership was planning to impose a ban on the traditional sport in the future and demanded that the party clarify its official stance. He described jallikattu as an integral part of Tamil culture, valour, and agrarian life.

The controversy began after Karuppaiah made the remarks in the Assembly on Friday during a debate on the demand for grants for Housing and Urban Development. The MLA questioned government expenditure on sports infrastructure over industrial revival in his constituency.

Speaking during the debate, Karuppaiah said that the National Cooperative Sugar Mill in Alanganallur had been lying closed for the last 10 years. He argued that if an allocation of Rs 50 crore had been made, the sugar mill could have been reopened. Instead of spending such a huge sum of money on a jallikattu stadium that ruins the youth and society, the MLA said, directing that money to the sugar mill would have allowed it to be restarted.

Dhinakaran noted that the comments were particularly objectionable given that they came from the legislator representing the Sholavandan constituency, which includes Alanganallur, a locality internationally known for its jallikattu events.

Questioning whether the MLA's remarks reflected the TVK's official position on the traditional sport, Dhinakaran insisted that the party leadership make its stance clear on the issue.